


you gave him your sweater (it's just polyester)

by banditoheart (2space_lesbo1)



Series: Snowboard One Shots [7]
Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Autistic Hasegawa Langa, Cute Kyan Reki, Gen, Hasegawa Langa In Love, Jealous Hasegawa Langa, Jealousy, Kyan Reki Has ADHD, Kyan Reki is a Ray of Sunshine, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Not really OC but also OC, Oblivious Kyan Reki, Oops, Pining Hasegawa Langa, Sad Hasegawa Langa, Tumblr Prompt, kind of, was supposed to be a one shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 21:01:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30095067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2space_lesbo1/pseuds/banditoheart
Summary: Reki's childhood friend has moved back to Okinawa. Langa isn't sure what to think.
Relationships: Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki, Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Series: Snowboard One Shots [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2190897
Comments: 10
Kudos: 137





	you gave him your sweater (it's just polyester)

**Author's Note:**

> this has taken me too long to write lol
> 
> and it was supposed to be a one shot but it got longer and longer than it was supposed to be so i'm splitting it. so there should be two or three chapters? not entirely sure yet lmao 
> 
> i just really like jealous langa, so yeah. tumblr mutual wanted it too, so i was like aight bet
> 
> please let me know what you think!!

Langa smiles as he and Reki exchange their usual greetings, ending with their signature handshake. His body is buzzing, once more pleased to see his friend. 

“How was the rest of school for you?” Reki asked, placing his hands on the back of his head as they strolled down their regular route. Langa keeps his hands in his pocket, glancing momentarily at a few birds flying overhead. 

“The same as any other day,” Langa replied with a slight shrug, and Reki nods his agreement. 

“Yeah, long and boring,” Reki said, scratching the back of head, causing clumps of his hair to bounce and shake. Langa’s almost unable to look away from the movement, wanting to reach his own out and run his own fingers through that fiery red hair. To feel the soft curls against his palms and fingertips. But he refrains, not wanting to weird Reki out. 

“Well, what time do you want to meet up?” Langa asked, the excitement of skating and heading to S with Reki enough to make his fingers tingle. He brings one out of his pocket, shaking it lightly at his side. Reki takes notice and grins at the sight. 

“You excited, huh?” Reki said, his eyes sparkling with his own excitement. “Well, I was thinking we could just meet at our-”

He stops, both speaking and walking, and it takes Langa a moment to realize he's stopped. He pauses as well, looking back at his friend, who is staring, wide eyed ahead. Langa frowns, confused, and goes to stand beside him, and then follows his gaze. 

There. A boy, standing a bit further down the sidewalk. He looks to be around their age, but Langa has never seen him around their school. His hair is around the same length as Langa’s, if not a tad longer, and is a light, autumn brown. His eyes are a similar shade, only darker to look like bits of chocolate. He is a few inches shorter than both Langa and Reki, but he did appear to still be at average height. He's smiling nervously, his hands fidgeting with the front of the sweater he was wearing. 

Wait- Langa has seen that sweater before. In old pictures of Reki, actually. It had presumably been Reki’s first, since in the picture, the redhead had been wearing it. But now this stranger is, the exact one, with the exact same tear that had been on Reki’s in the photo. 

Reki hasn't said anything, his mouth slowly falling open with his disbelief. Langa’s eyebrows pinch together at the strange tension suddenly filling the air, but he doesn't say anything, still. Reki must recognize this boy. 

“H- hey, Rekkers,” the boy said, suddenly, his voice soft and light but a higher pitch. He raises a hand to awkwardly scratch at one of his cheeks, a light blush spreading across his face. “It's uh… it's been a while, huh?” 

Langa’s eyes widen now, too. So, this boy does know Reki. And he knows him so well, in fact, that he's wearing one of his old sweaters(Langa wears Reki’s sweaters sometimes when the red head gives them to him) and is even calling Reki a nickname(a nickname? should Langa make Reki a nickname?). And Reki clearly knows him, too. 

Langa’s frown deepens. 

“T… Tamaki…” Reki muttered, just loud enough for Langa to hear. He's not sure if the boy had heard, but he perks up at the name, so he must have. And that must be his name, too, then. He's tense, as though expecting Reki to yell or shout at him(Langa wants to, for some reason). 

And then Reki is grinning so large, and Langa hasn't seen him grin that wide or happily before. He runs across the sidewalk to the boy Tamaki and practically throws himself at him, in a similar fashion to how he does to Langa(wait, Langa was the only person Reki did that to, wasn't he?). 

“Tamaki-Kun!!!” Reki shouted with glee, as the shorter boy grunted under his weight. They both stumble before falling onto the ground, Reki on top of Tamaki, but neither of them seem to care. Reki buried his face in Tamaki’s neck, while Tamakin wraps his arms around Reki and hugs him tightly(Reki doesn't hug anyone else but Langa or Miya who is this boy why is Reki hugging him like he reserves hugs for Langa?). “Tamaki-Kun!!” 

“Reki!!!” Tamaki exclaims with a burst of laughter, and they begin to roll together on the ground. Langa takes a step back at the action, watching quietly. “It's been so long!!” 

Reki pulls back, a pout on his face and points an accusatory finger at Tamaki. “And whose fault is that?” 

Tamaki rolls his eyes, pushing Reki off of him ungraciously. “Rekkers, that was my parent’s choice, not mine,” he said with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest. They're still on the ground, sitting while facing one another. Reki had abandoned his backpack nearby, and Langa picked it up for him. Neither seem to notice(Reki was supposed to be walking home with him they are supposed to be talking and getting ready for S). “But I'm finally back! The surgeries are finally done!!” 

Reki’s grin returns even larger than before, and he throws his arms around Tamaki’s neck again. “I'm so happy to hear that, Tamakun!” Tamaki laughs joyously at the attention, and Langa flounders without it. 

Reki was always giving Langa and only Langa any and all of this kind of attention whenever they were together. Now, Reki doesn't seem to even remember that Langa was still there with them. 

For some reason, that thought makes Langa’s chest hurt. 

But Tamaki does take notice of Langa, seems to recognize his presence, and pulls back from Reki, pointing at the taller boy as he pushes back to his feet. Reki follows suit, brushing dust from the front of Tamaki’s shirt. Langa doesn't like how touchy Reki was to Tamaki. 

Wait, why would that matter? Reki was always touchy(with him). It shouldn't matter at all. 

“Hey, Rekkers, who's that?” Tamaki asked, gesturing to Langa. Langa stares at him. 

“Oh! Tamakun!” Reki exclaimed, and moved to stand beside Langa once more. His shoulders drop in the slightest, glad to have Reki at his side again(where he should belong). “This is my friend-”(why does it hurt to hear Reki call him that? that's what they are)-”Langa! He skates with me!” 

Tamaki and Langa stare at one another, looking each other over. Tamaki keeps his hands hanging at his sides, while Langa keeps his one free hand in a pocket, the other keeping a hold on Reki’s bag strap. 

“Well, it's nice to meet you,” Tamaki said, offering Langa a small smile, before holding a hand out. Langa stares at him. At the hand now hovering in the air in front of him. Tamaki’s smile falters, and he momentarily looks at Reki for help. 

“Langaaaaaa!” Reki drawled, waving a hand in front of Langa's face. He laughs goodnaturedly, the sound always able to make Langa’s stomach fill with butterflies. What a wonderful sound. “Sorry, he spaces out sometimes. Give him a second to rejoin us!” 

But Langa doesn't want to. He doesn't want to officially meet this Tamaki, he doesn't want to shake his hand. 

Weird. What is that strange, coiling feeling in his chest that strikes out like a snake every time Reki looks at Tamaki with the smile he normally reserved for Langa? Why was it there, and why did it make Langa want to avoid Tamaki to the ends of the earth. 

He doesn't understand the feeling. Not one bit. 

He forces himself to reach forward anyway, taking the hand and giving it a firm shake. Tamaki’s smile relaxes at the returned contact. 

“Nice to meet you as well,” he lied through his teeth, keeping his expression neutral. He doesn't have to smile at the other boy. “Why are you back in Okinawa?”

Tamaki winces, and Reki huffs out another laugh. “That's Langa for you, always so blunt,” Reki said with a shrug, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Langa almost can't find the smile that wanted to appear at Reki’s return of attention, at the way he was once again hugging him. But he doesn't take his eyes off of Tamaki, and doesn't smile. “Though, I was wondering the same thing. I thought you moved back to Kyoto to be closer to family?” 

“Oh, yes!” Tamaki replied, grinning once more. He blows a strand of his hair that had fallen into his face, before pulling off a ponytail holder and brushes most of the longer strands into a bun at the back of his head. Reki seemed to be almost mesmerized by the movement. Langa clears his throat, and shifts on his feet, and Reki glances at him momentarily with confusion. Tamaki doesn't seem to take notice of their brief interaction. “We had gone back to Kyoto while I was still injured really bad- in case anything went wrong.” 

Reki winces at Tamaki’s forced admission, and Langa frowns. Oh. This must be the friend Reki had told him about before, then. The one who had gotten injured while skateboarding and had left Reki afterwards. That doesn't make Langa any happier about any of this. 

“But, like I said, the surgeries were a success!” Tamaki informed them with another bright grin, clasping his hands in front of his stomach. “Sorry I never got back to you Rekkers- I'd gotten so caught up in life, ya know? But I did miss you everyday.” 

“I missed you too, Tamakun…” Reki admitted, quietly, his hand gripping a fistful of Langa’s sleeve. Langa raises an eyebrow at the action, but doesn't bring it up. 

“I came back here since I've fully recovered!” Tamaki added, reaching a hand forward to grip one of Reki’s. Reki’s eyes brighten at the contact, and his arm slowly slips from Langa’s shoulders. Langa suddenly felt very, very cold. “So, I thought I'd come to school, too! Bet you've been bored without me!!”

Reki gives a half chuckle, ruffling his hair with one of his hands. “Well, it definitely hasn't been the same since you left…” he trailed off, and glances at Langa. He then breaks out into a large grin. “Yo, I know you don't skate anymore- but you have to check Langa’s moves out. He's one of the best skaters I know!” He jams a thumb into a chest, puffing it out proudly. “And  _ I'm  _ the one who taught him!” 

Langa can't help but smile softly at Reki’s high praise of him, feeling his chest fill with his own kind of pride. Reki pulls his skateboard from his bag, and holds it out towards Tamaki. 

“And look- the best board I've made to date!” he exclaimed, and Tamaki’s eyes seemed to lighten up at the sight. He glances at Langa as he slowly takes the board from Reki’s hands, making sure the taller boy wouldn't tell him to release it at any point. When Langa makes no sound, or move to take it back, merely staring with sharp eyes, Tamaki gingerly turns it in his grip to look it over. 

“Oh, wow, Rekkers!” Tamaki said, his eyes sparkling with amazement. “You really have gotten better at making boards- this one is amazing!” He spins one of the wheels, and his expression scrunches up in confusion. “Why do the wheels spin like this? Is it loose?” 

“It's designed to fit my style,” Langa said in answer, taking his board back. He points to the toe clip on the front as well, and traces the curves of the board. “Reki designed this board to fit my needs, since he was able to tell what makes me uncomfortable so easily.” 

There's a blush on Reki’s cheeks from Langa’s words, and he's glad he's the one who put it there. Tamaki blinks with confused interest. 

“He was originally a snowboarder,” Reki explained, patting Langa’s arm. “He's been one for most of his life, so adapting to a skateboard was hard for him. I added a few things to his board to help him out, and he's taken to them quickly.” 

“Only because you knew just what I needed,” Langa pointed out, placing his board on the ground. He rests a foot on the top, letting his toes slide beneath the clip. “If you hadn't noticed then I still wouldn't be as good as skating as I am now.” 

The blush deepens. Langa smiles at him. “I'm sure anyone could have noticed where you were struggling,” Reki said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Tamaki looks between them, his eyes still alight. Though he does seem to be trying to piece together a puzzle, oddly enough. 

“I don't think so,” Langa stated with no hesitance. He knows no one else could have made a board for him as perfect as Reki had- and, even if they could, Langa wouldn't want anyone else to do it anyway. He wanted Reki’s board and only Reki’s board- he doesn't need or desire any newer or “flashier” board. He's grown attached to the board and he doesn't think he’ll ever get another. 

“Rekkers, that's a pretty high achievement,” Tamaki said, joining the conversation once more. Langa’s smile falters. He'd been enjoying talking with Reki. He gestures at Langa, his smile returning full force. “To perfectly simulate a snowboarder’s style into skateboarding- and you said you taught him?” 

Reki nods eagerly, now grabbing Langa by his elbow roughly. Not that Langa minded much. He allows the hand to stay wrapped around his arm. “Yep! But he learned so quickly it's hard to believe he's still new!” he exclaimed with pride. 

Tamaki grins as well, and looks at Langa imploringly. “Could I watch you?” he asked with a child’s excitement, and it looked like he was about to start bouncing on the balls of his feet. Langa stares at him for a moment, considering. He could show Tamaki- but did he want to? He loves skating, yes, but he doesn't like to skate on anyone’s command or desire. Aside from Reki’s of course. “I'd love to see you in action!” 

Reki nudges Langa’s side, giving him a side eyed grin. “Come on, Langa, knock his socks off,” Reki urged, and the deal was sealed. Reki wants him to skate, to show off, and so he would. 

Langa pushes off with his free foot into instant high speeds, eyes darting around for a good ramp that he could use. He finds a rather large piece of wood propped up against a tire, and decides that that would be good enough to use. 

He steers himself towards it, and as soon as his wheels have left the board, he spins, holding the edge of the board as he goes. He can faintly hear Reki cheering, and that spurs him to make the jump have even more flourish, turning the wheels on the ground as soon as he landed. He skids the board to a halt as soon as he reached Tamaki and Reki once more, looking towards Reki expectantly. 

And it pays off. Reki jumps about ten feet into the air with a loud laugh and throws himself onto Langa once more, and Langa beams up at him. He glances momentarily at Tamaki, not really caring for his reaction, but he can see that the other boy’s eyes are sparkling, his cheeks a bright pink and his hands clenched into fists from his excitement. Langa seems to have that effect on people. Not that he cares much, as long as Reki is excited about his skating. He doesn't think he needs anyone else to be impressed by it. 

He does think Tamaki’s expression is a tad darker at the sight of Reki clinging to him, but he filed that away for later. 

“That was so rad!!” Tamaki exclaimed, before slapping a hand over his mouth, appearing embarrassed by his outburst. Reki nods against Langa’s shoulder, and then pulls back so that they have enough room to share their high five and shake. “You got so much air with such a little speed!” Tamaki’s voice is quieter now, but Langa could still hear his excitement. 

“I told you he's the best,” Reki said with pride, and Langa can't help but flush from his words. Reki removes himself from Langa now, but does keep an arm around his shoulders. “You still got your badge? I know you don't skate anymore, but you could still come with us.”

Tamaki chuckles sheepishly, reaches into his pocket, and reveals a small S badge, the light gleaming off of its surface. So, S has been open long enough for them to have attended when they were a few years younger, then. That means Tamaki and Reki must have gone to S together, when Tamaki was still living here before the accident. 

The thought…. makes Langa uncomfortable, oddly enough. 

Reki whoops when he sees the badge, and flashes his and Langa’s for Tamaki to see as well. Then, he hops a little, an idea clearly forming in his mind. 

“Why don't you come with us to S tonight?” Reki asked excitedly, and Langa frowned. They always went together, just the two of them to S. Sure they'd meet up with Miya and the others  _ at _ S, but it was their thing to  _ go _ alone. Just the two of them. 

Tamaki rubs the back of his neck, a few strands of his hair falling from the loose bun he'd made. “Well, actually, I was planning on looking around Okinawa again,” he replied, and Langa lets out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. It was one of relief, not that he'd admit that aloud to Reki. Reki seemed beyond ecstatic to see his friend again, and Langa can't hold him to fault like that. “It's probably changed a lot since I moved away.” 

Frowning, Reki cups his chin in thought. Then, he snaps his fingers, sliding his arm from Langa to place both of his hands on Tamaki’s shoulders. His stomach curls strangely at the sight of Reki touching someone else(why? Reki can do what he wants- Langa can't and shouldn't have any control over that). 

“How about I show you around, then, Tamakun?” Reki suggested, and now Langa’s stomach drops. Reki was cancelling their plans of going to S together? He's never done that before- he and Langa  _ always _ go  _ every _ night. 

He wills Tamaki to refuse, to say he was busy, but instead, the smaller boy grins brightly, a slight flush on his cheeks(why is he blushing? Reki was just being nice. he doesn't need to blush). “That would be great, actually, Rekkers,” Tamaki replied, and Langa’s heart twists. 

No. Wait. Reki was supposed to be going to S with him, just like every night. 

He panicked, and his hand shot out instinctively, grasping one of Reki’s wrists. 

“Reki!” he exclaimed, desperation in his voice. And a little fear(why was he so worried? he shouldn't be- Reki is allowed to have multiple friends, and he's allowed to have time without Langa(so why does it hurt?). “We were going to S tonight!” 

Reki pauses and grimaces, scratching one of his cheeks like Tamaki had before. And why did seeing him do that action now panic Langa, almost like the world was ending? Reki did it all the time(but now he could see Tamaki does it in the exact same, in the exact fashion, in the exact situation and Langa doesn't like how similar it is). 

“Oh, yeah,” Reki said, like he'd somehow forgotten he and Langa’s earlier plans. Bile rises in Langa’s throat against his will. He sighs heavily, knocking himself upside the head. “Well, we do that every night, right?” Oh, gods, he was dismissing their time together like it wasn't anything special. Langa’s heart kicks up in speed painfully. “So, since Tamakun just got back, I think I'll go with him…” he then smirks, and pokes Langa’s cheek. “Aw, Langa, are you jealous?” 

(Yes) “No!” Langa spat out, drawing his hand back at Reki’s teasing. “You just already planned to go with me.” 

Tamaki raises his hands in a placating gesture, letting out an exasperated laugh. “Hey, I don't want to get in the way of your plans,” he said, his voice just as placating as his gesture. It infuriates Langa, for some reason. He side eyes Reki, frowning. “It's just… I hadn't been here in so long… And I'd missed you and all, Rekkers.” He chuckles again, and Langa clenches his teeth. “It's fine, though, I can go on my own.” 

“No no!” Reki said quickly, grasping one of Tamaki’s hands in both of his own. Langa glares dagger at the touch. Tamaki’s face deepens in its red color(stop blushing Reki is touchy with everyone but it should be Langa he's holding hands with not him). “I can go with you, like I said!”

Langa’s heart plummets when Reki says this, and a clump forms in his throat. Reki… doesn't want to go to S with him? And he's… going with someone else, somewhere else? 

For some reason, he feels sick to his stomach. 

“Langa can go with us, too!” Reki suddenly adds, and Langa can breathe a bit easier. Only a bit, though. Tamaki’s lips turn to a frown when Reki turns to look at the taller boy, and Langa frowns in return, before he quickly smiles again when Reki looks back at him. “You're both good friends of mine- so we should all be together so that you can become friends, too!” 

“I'd love to, Reki,” Langa said with haste as Tamaki opened his mouth to speak, beating him to it. He offers Reki a small, forced smile, that the shorter boy seems to appreciate, since he returns the gesture with large grin of his own. “Should we stop by my place to get my motorcycle?”

“Wouldn't a motorcycle fit only two people?” Tamaki pointed out, raising an eyebrow at Langa. Langa’s eye twitches at the sight, but he doesn't say anything in response. Reki does for him, instead. 

“That is a good point,” he said thoughtfully. “And Tamakun doesn't skate anymore…” he winced slightly at his own words, almost as if he'd forgotten the fact. Langa doesn't like seeing him so sad. 

“We can skate to where we meet him together if you'd like, Reki,” he offered next, and Reki slowly lifted back into a smile. The sight makes Langa’s chest warm, and for his stomach to fill with butterflies. He loves to see Reki smile, always. 

“You've always got such great ideas, Langa,” Reki said happily, patting one of his shoulders. He turns back to Tamaki, arms crossed over his chest. “Alrighty, Tamakun, you remember where Dope Sketch is?”

“That little skateboard shop we went to all the time when we were younger, yeah?” Tamaki asked, ringing the edge of Reki’s old sweatshirt. The fabric seemed to be frayed there, as though Tamaki did this often. 

“Yeah!” Reki replied with an eager nod. “Let's meet up there a little later, after we've all eaten dinner, and then we could head out!” 

“Alright, sounds good,” Tamaki said with a nod of his own. His eyes glide towards Langa’s face, a slight frown marring his expression, before it is replaced by a small smile. “It was nice to meet you, Langa. Thanks for being Reki’s friend while I was gone- I'm sure he needed someone.” His eyes are darkened as he says this, and Langa keeps his expression neutral. So that's how this is(but how is this? Langa doesn't fully understand, and yet he perfectly understands at the same time(or was it just his imagination getting the better of him?). “Well, see you guys later! I was actually going to see the school now!” 

Tamaki wraps his arms around Reki’s waist, and Reki returns the embrace, burying his face into the shorter boy’s neck, and for some reason that makes Langa extremely uncomfortable. He picks at the skin around his fingertips, trying to keep himself calm, not even noticing he was bleeding from his thumb until Reki has turned back around and noticed. 

“Oh, Langa, you did it again!” Reki exclaimed exasperatedly. He pats Tamaki one more time on the shoulder and releases him, moving back to Langa. He takes the hand with the bleeding thumb- and Langa could feel that the skin there was pulsing now, he'd really gone deep this time- and glares at the tear in his skin like it offended him. He then wiped the blood off with the corner of his sweater sleeve. Then, he reaches into one of the pockets in his backpack- that Langa was still holding- and produces a bandaid, peeling off the wrapper and sticking it into place over Langa’s thumb. 

It made Langa happy that Reki was used to his strange picking habit. And it made him even happier that Reki carried bandaids for him in case of blood, especially since the sight of the red liquid makes Langa’s stomach turn. 

It was a bad habit Langa had, picking at his fingertips. Made worse by that fear of blood. 

He was a mess. 

But Reki never seemed to mind. 

He smiles lightly at Reki once more. “Thank you, Reki,” Langa said softly, and the shorter boy nods in answer. 

“See you later, Tamakun!” Reki then said to Tamaki with a small wave. He then takes his own backpack from Langa, sliding his board from its straps, and hops on top, taking off down the sidewalk. Langa’s eyes widen in surprise- normally, Reki would inform him of when he was going to start skating, so it was strange of him to not say anything at all. 

Then again, everything has been thrown out of sorts since Tamaki appeared. Langa hopes it doesn't get any worse. He liked the routines he and Reki had down. 

He quickly gets into his own board, not even looking back as Tamaki as he shot off after Reki. 

He could feel the other boy’s eyes on his back as he zoomed away, however. 

  
  


Reki ends up at the park they regularly skated at, and Langa follows close behind. Reki hasn't said much since they'd left Tamaki behind, but Langa could tell that he was extremely anxious. Over what, Langa wasn't entirely sure. 

Langa hops off of his board when Reki does, the shorter boy throwing his bag on the ground once more. Langa doesn't pick it up this time, merely sliding his own from his shoulders as well. They normally stick around the park whenever they come here, so he assumes that they would be today, too. 

Unless that normality was thrown out the window, that is. He hopes not. He likes being at this park with Reki. 

With the sunset casting its beams of light down at them, the horizon painted with all kinds of vibrant colors, Reki’s amber eyes bright with the happiness of skating and just being with Langa; it all makes him feel warm. Warm and loved, on the inside. 

And when Reki really gets into skating here, when he really let loose and just had  _ fun _ , he was a truly breathtaking sight. One that would steal Langa’s attention from the beautiful sunset to instead stare and simply watch Reki, the boy’s face covered in a grin brighter than the sunlight, his entire form surrounded by a halo of light, his eyes like two glowing amber orbs. 

Langa could never look away from him, then. Completely captivated by Reki’s beauty(beauty? is that the right word to describe how he looked? Langa believed so- then again, he can't think of anything better or more fitting of a description). 

But Reki wasn't even skating now. Instead, he was sitting at the bottom of the skating ramp, knees held up in front of himself, with his arms draped over them. He's staring out at the sunset, his eyes beautifully reflecting the gorgeous colors of the sky with an amber honey hue. 

Langa’s stomach fills with butterflies despite himself. Reki’s face was almost aglow with the sun's light, revealing his normally hidden freckles against his tanned skin. His red hair seemed to be ablaze, but i like the flame on a candle wick. His cheeks are a light shade of red, his plump lips a soft pink. 

Why was Langa staring at his lips, again? He caught himself doing that quite often, and the butterflies in his stomach would flutter madly, his veins pumping with hot liquid, his fingertips trembling. 

They looked so enticing. Enticing in a way Langa doesn't understand. 

He should stop staring at his lips. Reki looks troubled about something. 

He sits down beside Reki. He hardly even seems to register his presence, but he does unconsciously move closer to the taller boy, his eyes still locked on the sunset. 

He doesn't want to ruin the moment, to be rid of the painting like vision before him. So he takes a moment to ingrain the scene into his memory, so that he would never forget how beautiful Reki looked. Then, he clears his throat, causing the shorter boy to jump in surprise, dragging him back to reality. 

“Reki?” he asked softly, and hesitantly scoots closer. He knows that Reki was anxious right now, and he knows that having someone code to him helped with his anxiety with regular attacks. But he never wants to invite himself into Reki’s space when he's in such a vulnerable space unless Reki wants him there. 

And it would seem Reki does want him there, because he basically crawls into Langa’s lap, and Langa quickly adjusts to accept his weight, and to get into a more comfortable position. He spreads his legs out to make room for the shorter boy, and once Reki has leaned his back against his chest, he wraps his arms around his waist, ignoring the rapid beating of his heart and the warmth blossoming in his chest. 

He keeps his hold on Reki tighter than he would with any other hug, aware that the shorter boy enjoyed the pressure. Reki softly gasps, but instantly begins to relax, resting the back of his head on Langa’s collarbone. A few of his red curls tickle the bottom of Langa’s chin. 

Langa’s cheeks flush. He really tries to stop them from doing that. Really, he does. He and Reki are always hugging and cuddling each other like this. He needs to stop getting caught up in silly, useless feelings that will never go anywhere, since he and Reki are merely friends and nothing more(but oh he wishes they were more). 

“Sorry about that, spaced out,” Reki said a moment later, and Langa gives him another squeeze. 

“No need to apologize, you were panicking,” Langa replied, resting his chin on the top of Reki’s head. His red curls now tickle the sides of his neck, as well as his cheeks. “I understand.” 

Reki hums, and Langa can feel the vibration from it in his chest and stomach. 

“What does have you so anxious, though?” Langa asked, and Reki sighs heavily, his fingers wrapping around one of Langa’s wrists. His grip is warm on Langa’s skin- but, then again, Reki was a warm person in general. Maybe it was because of the sweaters he wore at all times. 

“Tamakun,” Reki replied honestly, and Langa blinks at the immediate admission. He can feel the shorter boy tensing up again, getting anxious once more. He gives Reki another squeeze, this time tigheter to try and alleviate some of his anxiety. “I mean, I am happy to see him again, but…” 

Rek trails off, and so Langa urges, “But?” 

He sniffles softly, rubbing at his eyes. “He… he was hurt real bad,” he said, his voice quiet, sounding to be almost muffled. Langa peers over the tops of his curls, noticing that Reki had covered his mouth with his hand(and he's done that before and it never bothered langa but now he'd seen tamaki do it in the exact same way and it bothered him to no end-). “The accident… it was my fault. He got hurt so bad because of me… and he stopped skating because of me, too…” 

Langa lightly rests his chin on top of Reki’s head, giving him time to gather himself. 

“And… we were an… item, before,” Reki finished, and Langa suddenly felt sick again. Worse than before. Worse than the entire exchange between Tamaki and Reki, too. He doesn't understand entirely why, but the thought of Reki  _ dating _ someone makes him feel incredibly…. angry, almost. Not at Reki, but at Tamaki. But why would he be so angry at Tamaki for dating Reki at all? It shouldn't be his problem(but it was and Langa doesn't want it to happen again). “I don't know if he wants that again… and I'm not sure either…” Langa bites his tongue to keep himself from saying anything. He knows how difficult it is for Reki to actually open up and admit to his fears and worries, since he seems himself so below everyone else, that if he were to say anything more than he did already, he'd close up again. 

Reki leans his head back to Langa’s chest, turning to press his cheek against his shoulder. Every movement of his head causes his hair to brush against Langa’s skin, spreading the feeling of feathers gliding across his neck and chin. The feeling makes the butterflies in Langa’s stomach flutter. 

“Which is why I want you there, too,” Reki finally said, his breath ghosting across Langa’s neck as well now. Langa can feel his face burn. 

Langa nods quickly in response, and slides his fingers into one of Reki’s hands. The red head gives his hand a squeeze, and they sit in comfortable silence for the remainder of their time there. They don't even end up getting anything for dinner. Instead, they remain tangled together, neither really wanting to move. 

Then, Reki was informing Langa it was time to meet back up with Tamaki, and so the taller boy begrudgingly released his hold. Reki pops his back when he stands, hopping onto his board, a hand on his hip to wait for Langa to get ready to leave as well. Langa takes a few seconds longer, already missing having Reki in his arms. 

But he does get onto his board as well, and they take off and out of the park side by side. 

They skate like that a lot; side by side, hardly drifting apart from each other. Langa is happy to have his goofy footed stance for this exact reason, so that he can face Reki while they skate together throughout the streets of Okinawa. They do a few, small tricks on the way to meeting up with Tamaki, but nothing too flashy. 

Langa weaves around Reki at one point, and Reki flashes him a grin as he passes. Langa can't stop himself from smiling back. 

Before they know it, they are at the street corner that was their designated meet up location. Tamaki was already there, a cup of iced coffee in one hand and his phone in the other. He was sipping from the coffee up until he noticed their arrival, and then he's smiling at them with a wave. 

“You're just as good as always at skating, Rekkers,” Tamaki said in greeting, pocketing his phone. He shakes his cup of coffee to mix the flavors up better, and nods at Langa in acknowledgement. Langa hangs back a few feet, propping his skateboard up against his leg and holding it in place with his hand. Reki keeps one foot on his board, and then steps off completely, bending over to pick it up and clasp it onto his bag. Tamaki tilts his head curiously. “Doesn't look like you stopped by home to drop your stuff off.” 

“We ended up skating at the park,” Reki responded with an easy smile, sheepishly scratching at the back of his head. “We weren't supposed to be there for long, but neither of us are good at keeping time, so we ended up missing dinner.” Langa nods his silent agreement, sliding his board onto his bag as well. 

“You never were a good one with time,” Tamaki teased, and Langa presses his lips together into a thin line. Reki wasn't always good at noticing when someone was merely joking with him- even if it was a friend doing the teasing. He took a lot of things to heart,  _ especially _ when it was one of his friends saying it. He keeps a close eye on Reki to make sure what Tamaki says doesn't bother him, but he's still smiling, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Well I guess we could stop somewhere so you two can eat, hm?” 

Reki bounces on the balls of his feet, nodding eagerly. “Yes! We could take you to our friend’s restaurant!!” he exclaimed excitedly. Ah. Joe’s. Langa wonders if he'd be there tonight, or if he was with Cherry at S. Well, if his restaurant wasn't open now, they could always stop by the nearby Mcdonald's. The Mcdonald's that Joe is constantly cursing the name of. 

“It is an insult to my food!” Joe shouted his explanation the one time Langa asked why he didn't like Mcdonald's. “And to build it so close- they knew what they were doing! Horrendous…” 

Langa didn't ask why Joe disliked Mcdonalds again. He also doesn't mention that he eats from the aforementioned Mcdonald's. He's sure he'd get banned from the restaurant if he gave even a hint of liking the food there away. 

“You're friends with a restaurant owner now, too?” Tamaki asked with surprise, blinking rapidly. Then he's smiling. “Wow, Rekkers, when I left you could hardly talk to anyone. Now you're making friends left and right!” 

Langa hates how much adoration Tamaki’s eyes held while he was looking at Reki. Yes. Reki is amazing. This is a well known fact. But Tamaki doesn't have to stare at him with doey and heartfilled eyes. 

And Reki doesn't even notice! 

Or maybe he does. 

He had admitted they'd been a couple before, after all. 

The thought makes Langa’s stomach feel worse. He's not sure if he’ll be able to eat wherever they end up at. 

“Yup! But Langa is my best friend,” Reki’s voice dragged him back to reality, as well as the warm, calloused hand grabbing his. Ah. Reki is pulling him along, not forcing him from his dazed state but making sure he was still following. Langa can't help but feel warm at that fact- Reki knows how to handle his dazed personality and strange habits so, so well. 

He hadn't even realized how long they'd been walking, but when he came back fully, they're already standing outside Joe's restaurant. Reki and Tamaki are talking about something or the other, but Langa doesn't tune back in, yet. The place was open, and so they headed inside. 

The place is mostly empty, since it was closer to closing time, but Joe is behind the counter, cleaning a glass while Cherry sits on the other side, munching on a desert tray Joe had cooked up for him. Carla is plugged to a nearby wall, glowing a dim purple. They both look at the trio as they enter, and Joe lets out a slight sigh at the sight of them. 

“Well, hello, Langa and Reki,” Joe said to them, setting the glass down to wave. Langa blinks and looks at him fully as Reki stops suddenly, so he stops, too. Tamaki stays silent beside Reki, eyes drifting from Joe to Cherry and back again. He raises an eyebrow when he takes notice of the shorter, fidgeting boy beside Reki. “Oh? And who's this?” 

Reki grins and releases Langa’s hand to instead pat Tamaki on his shoulder. Langa tears his eyes from the action, and slips past Reki to sit down at the counter beside Cherry, who glances at him through the corner of his eye. 

“This is my friend, Tamaki!” Reki replies with gusto, as Langa drags one of his nails across the surface of the counter. It bends his nail, slightly, but at least it wasn't the skin on one of his fingers again. Cherry slaps his hand with one of his fans- when had he gotten that?- and Langa flinched, retracting his hand to his side, looking at Cherry with scrunched eyebrows. 

“That sounds horrible,” Cherry said, opening his fan to cover his mouth. He is sitting with his back completely straight, holding himself perfectly proper. “And I quite like this counter, so I'd rather you didn't tear it up.” 

“Sorry,” Langa mumbled, and instead picks at the edge of his shirt. Reki is still introducing Tamaki to Joe, who seems to have taken an interest in the short boy. He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Seems like everyone likes Tamaki. 

Cherry regards him silently, before joining in with the introductions. 

“You’re famed calligraphy artist Kaoru!” Tamaki exclaimed, his eyes sparkling once more. He lowers his voice, face flushing with embarrassment. “Sorry- I just really love your works!” 

Cherry takes a liking to him, too, after that. Langa sighs heavily, tearing at the edge of his shirt a little too hard. A small rip forms, and he grumbles to himself mentally that he'd have to sew it later. 

Reki plops into the seat beside Langa a moment later, bringing him back to reality. Cherry resumes his seat on the other side of Langa, cutting back into the delicious looking dessert, while Tamaki sits down beside Reki on the opposite side. 

“You should try the spaghetti!” Reki said to Tamaki, thrusting a menu into his hands. Langa doesn't need one, and neither did Reki. They've eaten here enough times to know their own preferred dishes. “Or the pizza, or the zity, or the-” 

Tamaki chuckles under Reki’s excited attention, and Langa frowns at them. Joe doesn't even ask what he'd like to eat- he already knew. He sets a cup of coke in front of Langa, and he gingerly sips on it, absentmindedly chewing on the tip of the provided straw. 

“You’re more quiet than usual, Langa,” Joe said, taking Langa by surprise. Oh. He was talking to him. And expecting an answer. Cherry is also waiting expectantly, clearly curious, too. He grimaced at the thought. 

“Not much to say,” Langa replied, and returns to sipping on his drink, crushing the plastic straw between his molars. 

“Have you been practicing your rail slide?” Cherry asked, abruptly changing the subject. Langa is silently grateful to him; this was an easy thing for Langa to talk about. The other thing was maki him… uncomfortable, at the moment. 

“Yeah, I almost have it down,” Langa said, swirling the coke and the chunks of ice around his cup. The ice clatters against the sides of the glass, making small clinking sounds. He keeps his gaze down on the counter, and can feel Reki’s side brushing against his every now and again, as he spoke animatedly like always. Now, if only he was speaking to Langa like that again. 

“I'm surprised you're not at S perfecting it now,” Cherry admitted, lightly wiping the non existent crumbs from his face with a light pink napkin. Huh. The napkin color almost matched his hair. Funny. Oh, wait. He's talking again. “You came with Reki, instead?” 

Langa nods in response, squishing the middle of the straw between his forefinger and thumb. “He wanted me to,” he said. His face flushes. “And it's not the same there without him.” 

Cherry’s lips twitch, almost as if he were about to smile, before he suppressed it. He sets his napkin down beside his clean plate, placing his fork and knife on top of it. 

“I'm sure,” he said eventually, thoughtfully. Cherry was easy to talk to, despite his outwardly intimidating front. He was a good listener, and gave you the facts if you had a problem. “Don't worry, I'm sure Reki will give you more attention once you're skating again.” 

Langa’s face heats up further. Right. Cherry knows about the crush he has on Reki. He glances worriedly at Reki to make sure the other boy hadn't heard anything, but of course, he was still engrossed with whatever he and Tamaki are talking about. 

“That’s not it,” Langa mumbled, and the straw bends beneath his grip. Uh oh. He may have broken it. That's fine, he doesn't like drinking through straws, anyway. He’ll keep it for later, when he wants something to chew. He likes chewing things. Cherry stares at him, a single eyebrow raised, an expression of disbelief, and Langa sighs, shoulders hunching. “Okay, it might be it..” 

“It definitely is,” Cherry said knowingly, eyes following Joe’s movements in the kitchen intently. Langa watches Cherry for a moment; the older man knows of Langa’s crush, and Langa knows of his. It was a mutual thing. They are both pining fools, trying to deal with their idiot of a crush. While also being idiots themselves. Not that Cherry would ever call himself an idiot. Langa suppressed a snort. “Are you jealous, or just feeling left out?” 

Langa shifts in his seat, the chair squeaking under his shifting weight. Reki pauses in whatever he was saying to look back at Langa, twisting around to face him. A large grin is plastered across his face, and for a moment, it's as if any and all light was originating from him, surrounding him like the halo of an angel fallen to earth. His breath is stolen from him, wanting to kick himself for still falling so hard at even the simplest of Reki’s smiles. 

Oh, he was a fool, alright. A fool who has fallen hard for his best friend. 

“Langa asks every place we go if they have poutine!” Reki said, and Tamaki leans over the counter to better hear what he was saying. Not that he needed to- Reki was practically yelling. “He even asked if Joe served it here- not that I blame him! He met me have some of his poutine before and it was sooooo good!!” 

“I'd never even heard of poutine before,” Tamaki admitted, not that Langa was paying attention. He was only paying attention to Reki’s grinning face, his amber eyes blazing warmly, filling his stomach with heat and flames. 

“If you want more, you can have some of mine next time I get some,” Langa managed to say, not even realizing he was speaking for a good few seconds until Reki lets out a laugh that sounds a lot like the chiming of a bell. Langa’s own, personal bell. Or, he wished it was his, anyway. Reki was still sharing his laughter to the whole world, not reserving it for Langa and only Langa. 

“That'd be great!” Reki exclaimed, and he almost seemed to sparkle for a moment. Langa can only stare, until Reki turns back around, and he's left with string at the back of his red curls. 

He presses his lips together, and looks back to Cherry, who sighs as soon as their eyes meet once more. 

“I understand,” Cherry said with a slight shake of his head, and pats Langa on the back of his hand. “You'll get through it, I'm sure.” 

Langa wasn't so sure. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i LOVE comments :>


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